Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Eagle has Landed, By John Howsden



                                                    
For the last four years Danny Benson, along with his classmates, has had to stand in the mud at Cheyenne St. and Copper Cove while waiting to catch the bus for Bret Harte High School. Thanks to Danny and several other people who donated time, money and materials, students now have a bench to sit on and a cement platform to stand on.  
                                                                                                                              
It started out as a Boy Scout Eagle project for Danny Benson. Although putting in a bench sounds like a simple project, nothing is done in a vacuum. First, Danny had to pitch his idea to the Eagle Scout Board in Lodi. Once he got their blessing, he had to contact the property owner, the Homeowner’s Association and the fire department for their approval and permission. Having passed those bureaucratic hurdles, he then started raising money.  

 Danny Benson (in black hat) with friends Chris and Matt Nelson and completed project.


He got donations by knocking on doors, collecting cans and asking teachers for help.  Even his father got in the act by putting out a donation can at his work. The local Ace hardware store and Calaveras lumber helped with discounts. The property owners, Dave and Julie who also served as his mentor, donated the pavers. Even with all these donations Danny’s family and other students still had to come up with a couple of hundred dollars of their own money.

“I thought it would take a couple of months of jumping through the hoops,” Danny said. But surprisingly, getting donations, permission and design approval gobbled up almost a whole year. “I felt the stress late at night while I was filling out all the paperwork,” Danny explained. Normally time would not be a problem, but he had to have this project signed, sealed and delivered before he turned eighteen, which was now only a few days away. “There were times I didn’t think I would make it,” said Danny. Finally, with the material in hand and permission to proceed, he, along with his pals Chris and Matt Nelson, met at the location early Sunday morning.

It was cold and overcast. Holes were dug, cement was poured and pavers were laid. With the day coming to an end, they put the finishing touches on the bench and swept off the pavers. Although the bench was installed and looking good, Danny was learning the lesson that the job isn’t done until the paperwork is turned in and signed off. The only thing keeping him from getting his eagle badge now was getting the paperwork in on time.

With only a few days before his birthday, Danny got his project signed off. Not taking any chances, Danny will drive down to Lodi Thursday and hand deliver his application to the Eagle Scout Board.

When asked how he felt about the project, Danny said, “It was hard work but worth it. I learned that dedication pays off.” Danny was quick to point out that many people helped along the way and wanted to thank his parents Dan and Lisa, his mentors Dave and Julie, his fellow scouts; Chris and Matt Nelson, Paul Shuck and lastly Scout Master Rob Hecocks.

 BEFORE....

 Photos courtesy Benson family.